Hell On Mobius
by Alistair Lowary
Summary: A decade after ruthless aliens invade and conquer Mobius, a formerly indoctrinated military man, Shadow, must join forces with his old comrade-at-arms, cunning and dashing rebel leader Sonic the Hedgehog. Together, they must restore freedom and hope to a shattered world that's lost everything. Rated M for dark themes, and eventual other stuff. Contains Sonic/Shadow YAOI!
1. Chapter 1 - Life Changes Forever

Hell On Mobius

Alistair Lowary

Chapter 1 – Life Changes Forever

Chaos. That's what it was; pure and utter chaos. Shadow the Hedgehog couldn't make heads or tails of the situation, everything was exploding or had already exploded. Just three minutes ago, it had been like any other day. Eggman had televised his usual evil intentions, and Sonic had been over, mostly to make some wisecracks about the state of the Ultimate Lifeform's apartment. But then it all happened in the middle of one of Sonic's jokes. First came an explosion, so loud and sudden that the two hedgehogs immediately thought it was some sort of sonic boom, or perhaps a thunderclap. But then came the second explosion, and then the third. By the time Sonic and Shadow had reached the window, the apartment complex across the way had already been destroyed, and several vehicles on the street were burning.

They'd already begun evacuating the nearby apartments. No doubt Tails and Knuckles and the rest of the gang were on their way too, but for the time being, Shadow and Sonic were on their own, and there were civilians that needed out of those burning buildings. But with each building cleared, it became more and more obvious that a lot of people were going to die in the remaining complexes. The Ultimate Lifeform wondered where in Chaos' name the fire departments were, or the police, or anybody, but a large column of smoke in the direction of the city hall had answered that question pretty quickly.

"Shadow, watch out!" Sonic's voice carried over the screams and explosions, and the Ultimate Lifeform turned around just in time to see a large energy bolt hurtling toward him. His reflexes allowed him to dodge it without a problem; he rolled to the side, the laser impacting a microsecond later, leaving a one foot deep crater where the hedgehog used to be.

"Thanks." Shadow nodded to his counterpart, and then winced slightly as he tried to get up. Rolling to the side had lodged a piece of debris within his left leg, and had almost punctured an artery. It was not a critical injury, but it still stung like hell. He looked over to an overturned car, where Sonic was now taking cover from incoming laser fire. Advancing on his position were three heavily armored robots of unknown origin. Shadow quickly ran over to his counterpart's position and launched a Chaos Blast toward the automatons, shattering them completely. He then took cover behind the vehicle as well. "Figured you could use some assistance." He said smoothly.

"Come on, Shads, I had them and you know it." Sonic grinned his usual grin and had a sparkle in his eyes. "You just wanted to take my kills away."

"Sure, faker." Shadow rolled his own eyes before peering over the vehicle to analyze the battlefield. They were near the middle of an intersection, and there were several flying ships unloading more bots onto the street. "Looks like whatever's attacking is landing these guys in force. It's gonna be hard taking them all down." He glanced over at the blue hedgehog. "You in?"

"Ha! You bet, Shads." Sonic chuckled. "If I win this one, you've got to buy me a chili dog once this is over."

"Sure, whatever." Shadow shrugged before nodding at Sonic. "Let's go." Almost immediately after saying those words, the two sprung into action, and immediately came under fire from the robots. With supersonic speed and precision, the hedgehogs were able to dodge the projectiles fired from the bots and took several down quite easily. A Chaos Spear from Shadow finished another one, and Sonic was able to use a Spin Dash to finish off a group. To him, it was just like fighting Eggman's forces. Shadow quickly dodged a projectile fired from one of the robots before shoving a Chaos Spear through the machine's chest. After the spear dissipated, the two looked around the intersection. All the robots were down. "How many did you get, faker?" Shadow called out.

"Fourteen, you?"

"Thirteen… damn it." Shadow muttered under his breath.

Sonic chuckled and slapped his ebony counterpart on the back, causing Shadow to jerk away immediately in annoyance. "Cheer up, Shads. There's always the next time. Oh, but you still owe me a chili dog… faker."

"Shut up, Sonic." The midnight hedgehog glared over at his rival, and then half-smirked. "You probably cheated, anyway."

"Oi! Sonic the Hedgehog does _not _cheat!" Sonic grinned. "You know, a real man would just admit defeat and get on with his life."

Shadow laughed. "Admit defeat? Ne…" His remark was cut short by a loud roaring of engines, and both hedgehogs dropped back into a battle stance as a large aircraft approached. This thing was enormous, at least two kilometers, with several dozen weapon ports, and possibly a hangar.

"Whoever gets this one wins the World Cup and a lifetime supply of chili dogs!" Sonic laughed. "Let's do this!"

"You're on, fa…" Shadow did not have time to finish his sentence. There was a loud boom, and Shadow felt himself being propelled backwards through the air. With a loud grunt, he hit his head against a ruined building, and before he could rise, he was hit again, being shot through the building and into a neighboring building. His vision began to blur, and he could feel himself losing consciousness.

"Faker! Shadow… Shadow!" Sonic voice cut through the impending darkness, and for a moment, the Ultimate Lifeform saw the blue form standing above him extending a hand. Shadow reached to take that hand, but his muscles gave way, and his head went limp. The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness was the sound of lasers, and the sight of his rival running away.

Blackness.

_TEN YEARS LATER. _

Captain Shadow the Hedgehog opened his eyes and quickly adjusted his uniform cap. He narrowed his eyes for a minute; he'd been dreaming, something he'd never done before. But the more he tried to remember his dream, the more he found himself thinking about the light. The soothing white light that played constantly; _that_ was the only thing he needed. The Ultimate Lifeform sighed contentedly and began to check through the computer files he was supposed to analyze.

Suddenly, the door to his office opened, and a young, pink hedgehog dressed in military garb walked in. "Captain Shadow, I think there's something you should see."

"Lieutenant Rose! What's going on?" The midnight hedgehog raised an eye ridge. "Did Private Tobb get into the refrigerator again?"

"No, sir." Rose said with a sense of urgency in her voice. "Come out here and take a look."

With a sigh, Shadow rose from his chair and walked out with the young Lieutenant. Several other officers saluted him as he walked by, and he returned each salute happily. "All right, what is it?"

"It's right here…" Rose pressed a few buttons on a computer screen. "Computer, show me Work Camp 511." After a few moments, an aerial view of a camp appeared, showing several Mobians doing hard labor. But in one corner of the camp, there was another Mobian defiantly refusing to work, and was actually involved in a physical altercation with the guards. "It's Sonic the Hedgehog. We've found him, sir."

A series of disjointed images flowed through Shadow's head, and a strange feeling went through the pit of his stomach, but he quickly dismissed them and raised an eye ridge. "Sonic… I've never heard of him."

"He's a relatively minor Freedom Fighter, Captain. Been a thorn in the Propaganda Bureau's side for a couple of years, distributing anti-government leaflets, disrupting minor indoctrination signal broadcasters. Nothing too serious for us to handle, but we've never been able to catch him. He's just too fast for us."

Shadow sighed and looked at the computer screen, where the guards had finally subdued and handcuffed the blue hedgehog. "Well, it looks like they've finally got him." The Ultimate Lifeform smiled slightly. "But what's he doing trying to get into a work camp? Lieutenant, get my keys."

"You're going to see this Sonic, sir?" Rose raised an eye ridge. "We've got a couple of Bureau guys out there now, they can handle it."

"Negative, call them off." Shadow raised a hand. He did want to see this Sonic character. Alone. He didn't know why; it was like a compelling force he couldn't explain. "Just prepare my car."

And with that, the Ultimate Lifeform returned to his office and grabbed his overcoat and a pair of black gloves. This would be interesting, he could tell…

_TO BE CONTINUED_

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Well, that's that for this chapter. Feel free to drop a review. Also if you want the new content before it appears here, check out my profile on - just look up my pen name. Allons-y!


	2. Chapter 2 - Shadow's Freedom

Chapter 2... The title says it all, plus we see a little bit of affection. Or do we? Read on and find out!

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Chapter 2 – Shadow's Freedom

Alistair Lowary

"Get your hands off of me!" A certain blue hedgehog was shoved forward by a pair of heavy-duty security droids. He gasped in pain as one of them brought a baton down upon his back, and he fell to his knees, where the other robot struck him in the gut. He crumpled down into the cold, wet mud of the work camp's road curled up into the fetal position. With a grunt, he rose back up to his feet, and glared at the security-bot defiantly.

"Keep moving, hedgehog." One of the robots said in a mechanical voice. Sonic rolled his eyes at the droid before continuing. What the security-bot failed to realize was that the particular hedgehog he was transporting was very capable of escaping from him at any moment, and that there was only one reason why Sonic wasn't a rapidly fading speck in the distance at that very second. He was on a mission; he was going to rescue his rival from the enemy. Intelligence reports from the Freedom Fighters indicated that Shadow the Hedgehog had been indoctrinated into the loyalist army, and now commanded an entire platoon in the sector Sonic was in. Why the hedgehog thought he could save his former comrade-in-arms was beyond him; nobody had ever recovered from the effects of indoctrination before. Sonic just had to hope. This was why Command had declined his request for aid on this mission; they didn't want to risk resources on a potential disaster to save one indoctrinated man, not on the whim of a lower-ranking officer in the Freedom Fighters. But this was Shadow… Sonic's friend (though the black hedgehog likely would've slapped him for calling him that), and after that first battle when Shadow was lost, the cobalt hero completely lost it. He'd spent a better part of the past decade thinking about how he'd abandoned his rival/friend and about all the years that had followed; an entire series of events that the hedgehog had proclaimed the "Years of Hell". Would things have been different if he'd at least tried to carry Shadow out of that building to safety? No, Sonic had always told himself. One extra body couldn't have helped in the war; it was doomed from the start. But Chaos, at least Shadow was Sonic's tether to reality in times of crisis. Sure, the war would've still been lost, millions would still have died, but at least Sonic would've had someone to go through it with. He could've at least had someone to talk to after Knuckles' death or Tails' disappearance. But no, he'd gone through the past decade alone. A thought crossed his mind; he'd _missed _having Shadow around. He shook his head, realizing that he couldn't permit himself those thoughts. Selfish thoughts would only cloud his judgment, it was something the hedgehog couldn't afford at the moment.

They passed several workers on their way to what Sonic assumed would be the interrogation chamber, all of them looked away from the not-so-young-but-still-dashing evolutionary as he passed them. Poor things didn't want to get in trouble. Or they knew what was about to happen to him and they felt sorry for him. The latter was more probable. Sonic sighed and rounded a corner into a dark warehouse building. There was a light in the middle of the large room, and a metal chair with arm restraints. A table with various instruments sat beside the chair, including hot coals, some sort of scalpel, and some pliers. "_This plan's getting worse all the time._" With a shove from the robot guard, Sonic was forced into the room. He was quickly fastened to the chair, both legs and feet securely tied. The two robots took up a guard position at the entrance, and it wasn't long before Sonic noted a distinct lack of a torturer. "Hey, anyone gonna come in here to pull my quills out or something, or am I just wasting my time?"

"Hello?" Sonic called out into the darkness. "If you're not gonna torture me, can I get a chili dog, maybe?" No response. He smiled and began tapping on the chair's armrest. Things were going right on schedule. If they hadn't started the procedure immediately, that meant they were waiting for someone to arrive to personally conduct the interrogation. And if Sonic had played his cards right, the person who would've seen the footage of him being captured would be Shadow. Hopefully, he would've been intrigued enough to investigate. It seemed like indoctrinated people were like clockwork, the same routines, day after day. Hopefully something out of the ordinary would've gotten Shads off of his faker ass. Something like Sonic.

That thought, Sonic being 'out of the ordinary' actually took a jab at the hedgehog's heart, forcing him to consider a prospect he'd only thought of a few times before. What were the past ten years of Shadow's life like? Were they hell? Did he… miss Sonic? Chaos only knows why Shadow would miss him, but still. From the intelligence reports gathered on the indoctrinated, it was likely Shadow didn't even remember Sonic. And that… that hurt, in a way. He'd spent the past ten years thinking about Shadow, and Shadow would've completely forgotten about him. Sonic tried to remember that it wasn't Shadow's fault; that indoctrination forcibly wipes the mind of all previous memories. Sighing, he cleared his head. He needed to focus now. He would just have to rely on that hope that Shadow had one sliver of himself left, protected against the mind-control of the aliens.

After a few minutes of nothingness accompanied by an armrest drum solo, Sonic heard the distinct sound of a vehicle approaching the main gate. A quick chirp of a police siren was heard, and then the gate opened. Craning his neck nearly backwards, the hedgehog could see a black sedan stop outside the warehouse's doors. The car door opened, and a squirrel whom Sonic did not know stepped out and walked over to the passenger side rear door. Sonic felt his heart skip several dozen beats as a man stepped out of the car, _the _man that the hedgehog had wanted nothing more than to see for the past ten years. Sonic was right, Shadow was here.

"You're relieved, soldiers…" The Ultimate Lifeform motioned to the two robot guards at the doorway, who quickly marched off to attend to their other duties. The ebony hedgehog pulled off his overcoat and threw it on the cement ground. With an amused smile he walked in front of his blue twin and got down on one knee, to his level. "I'm Captain Shadow of the Mobian Loyalist Army. I'm not here to interrogate you; I just want a friendly chat. You're Sonic the Hedgehog, I presume."

"Shadow…" The young revolutionary whispered. Air was all of a sudden a scarcity. He'd prepared, so he thought he'd be able to contain his emotions. But here Shadow was, alive and well, even if he was working for the enemy. He felt an odd pain course through his heart as crimson eyes stared confused into his own.

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "Your tone suggests familiarity. Explain."

Sonic sighed as he stared into the eyes of the other. How to explain the situation? "It's a long story, Shads. Basically, you were captured by the enemy."

"That sounds like a reflection of your own story, actually." The Ultimate Lifeform chuckled quietly, something Sonic had only seen Shadow do once or twice before. "But I'm curious; I've been reading up on your file on the drive over here… You could've escaped confinement at any time, but you're still here. Why did you let yourself be captured?"

"To rescue you, Shadow. Listen to me, we're supposed to be really good friends. Well, kinda…"

Shadow laughed lightly. "Somehow I doubt that. Our intelligence suggests you were a hero to this planet before the war. If you were ever my friend at some point; you would've tried to rescue me a long time ago."

Sonic saw a strange thing happen to his once-rival. He was smiling after his small chuckle, but the rest of his demeanor briefly suggested something else. It was almost a… was it sadness? "I tried, Shadow. Chaos knows I tried to find you!" "_Shadow, please try to understand…"_

The other hedgehog's features softened a bit as pleading emerald eyes looked into his own. Shadow had the strangest feeling that… that this Sonic character was telling the truth. He tried to recall any memory of his past before the war. There were a few disjointed images in his mind, explosions, a man in a lab coat, a woman named Maurice or something… Then an image of a blue hedgehog standing over his wounded body, extending a hand toward him while everything burned. Suddenly, a massive pain shot through his brain as an intense white light filled his eyes. Flashing in a predictable pattern, Shadow recognized it for the first time for what it was. A method of mind-control. He grunted as he fell to his knees onto the cold concrete floor of the interrogation room. In a haze, he saw Sonic struggling against the restraints, pulling them off of the chair with ease. A voice in the Ultimate Lifeform's head told him to kill the blue hedgehog. It promised a stop to the pain. It was a tempting voice, but one that Shadow, for the first time in ten years, elected to ignore. With a grunt, he yanked his pistol out of its holster and tossed it into the corner of the interrogation room. He looked up at his azure counterpart, now free of his restraints and extending a hand toward him, much like he had a decade ago. "Sonic…" Shadow whispered as the full range of his memories flooded into his mind. He reached out for the hand, but soon a darkness began to envelop him, and his hand fell to the side. His last memory before he lost consciousness was of his rival scooping him up into his arms, and the wind coursing through his fur as he began to run.

Once again, blackness.

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

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Well, that's the end of the second chapter! Shadow's free, possibly. I think he is. Chapter 3's coming out soon, I'm sure. Please review and tell me what you think! Also, I'm setting up a new poll on my profile, check it out. Basically, I'm coming up with a new nickname for my fans. Which do you prefer, the Ali-stars, or the Knights who say Allons-y? Go vote now!


	3. Chapter 3 - Catching Up

Chapter 3 – Catching Up

Alistair Lowary

Shadow the Hedgehog stood at his apartment window, sipping a half-empty glass of scotch. Outside, the sounds of the city could be heard; cars honked their horns, and people talked out on the sidewalk. Everything was normal, all as it should be. But why did the Ultimate Lifeform feel so… fatigued? It felt like a million years had passed since he just sat down and _rested. _With a sigh, he sat himself down on his couch and flipped on the television. On the news channel, there was some nut job claiming that his observatory out in Green Hill had observed some sort of spaceship en route to Mobius; professional astronomers were countering, saying that no objects had been detected by satellites. Chaos, the world was filled with strange people.

He flipped through a few more channels; the latest episode of NCIS was on, along with a TV version of some old western. With a sigh, Shadow flicked a button on the remote and the television went dark. He went over to the kitchen and finished his glass of scotch before depositing both the cup and the empty bottle into the trash bin. Suddenly, a horrific pain shot through his head, and he had to brace himself on the counter to keep from falling over. He felt his internal temperature skyrocket, and his lips parted and he screamed as he collapsed in agony. He was left writhing on the marble floor of his kitchen, and he groaned in unbearable pain as he tried to pull himself toward the phone. But it seemed with each inch, help became a mile more distant. His vision began to blur with tears; Shadow was crying, something he'd only done once before in his life. Another jolt of pain coursed through his body, and he began to convulse on the floor. He managed to get onto his back, and that seemed to stop the seizure, but as he stared at the ceiling and the stars in his mind, the pain only became worse. "Gah! Chaos!" He screamed as his back arched in agony. "Somebody he…"

…

The Ultimate Lifeform's agony stopped instantly as everything went black. His breathing calmed a bit as his heart rate dropped back to its usual level. He felt something wet being placed on his forehead, and he opened his eyes. He was no longer in his apartment; it had all been a dream. That's it, just a nightmare. Instead, he was in some sort of dark room, possibly a basement. He was on a roughly-made bed with an old quilt beneath him. An elder cat-woman sat beside him, reading a book. Interestingly, a shotgun rested against the armchair she was in. Shadow tried to move, to get up, but he found that he was cuffed to the bed by his wrists and ankles. He tried to speak, but could barely move his mouth; he was incredibly thirsty. "Where… am… I?" He croaked.

The cat-lady's eyes widened, and she leaned forward, shining a flashlight into Shadow's eyes, checking something. After a minute of that, she switched off the light. "Welcome to the world of the living, hedgehog." Her voice was defiant, but with a hint of softness in it. It was hard for the antisocial hedgehog to place, exactly. "How are you feeling?"

The Ultimate Lifeform gasped slightly. "W—water…" He managed, and the woman immediately fetched a clay class from a shelf and filled it with water from a plastic container. Since Shadow was bound, the woman carefully poured the drink into his mouth, and Shadow desperately drank every single droplet. "Th—thank you," He nodded his head slightly, and she returned the nod. "Where am I?" He asked.

"In a safe place," The woman responded. Your friend brought you in a couple days ago with a high fever, said you were delirious."

"Is that why I have these bindings on me?" Shadow jerked his hand, rattling the cuffs.

The woman shook her head. "No, you've got those on because we know who you are… _Captain."_ She almost spat the last word out. "When Sonic came back with you, I was tempted to shoot you right then and there. You're lucky I swore an oath to do no harm." She glared at the Ultimate Lifeform. "Sonic believes you're recovering, he says you're not indoctrinated any more. I hope that's true. I'm not so convinced."

"Well, Doctor. I am grateful for your efforts to save my life. I can assure you that I have no desire to serve those who imprisoned me within my own mind for the past decade." He looked into the woman's eyes. "I am also particularly thankful that you restrained yourself from shooting me when I arrived here."

The cat-lady smiled a little. "I believe you're telling the truth, Mister Shadow. But a lot of the people here won't share my belief. We've all lost a lot to the Oppressors, our families, our children. They'll have a hard time accepting you, I think."

Shadow raised an eye ridge. "How about a sign of trust? I could manage without being bound."

The woman seemed hesitant, but only for a moment. She undid the cuffs around his hands, then his feet. She then went into a small closet near the door and produced a pair of hoverskates and Shadow's gloves. "Here, I believe you'll need these."

The Ultimate Lifeform nodded and stretched his muscles a bit before grabbing the items. "Much appreciated," He nodded to the woman quite stoically as he donned his shoes and gloves. "You said Sonic brought me here… Is he here? I would like to speak with him as soon as possible."

"Yes, he's here. Third floor of this complex, Room 331. That's his office." She smiled at Shadow. "Do knock before you enter, though. He's got a thing about people walking in uninvited."

"I appreciate your assistance, madam." Shadow once again inclined his head before he stood up. He staggered a big before bracing himself on a post of the bed. His muscles had gotten used to being stationary for two days, and it took him a few moments to orient himself and calibrate his walking. The woman kindly showed him to the door, and helped him up the stairs. Apparently, he was in the basement of some apartment building. Eventually, he reached the main floor, and upon opening the door, he was shocked to find a multitude of people walking about in a large lobby. This wasn't an apartment building, this was a _hotel. _

There were a few differences about this hotel, however. There was no receptionist on duty, and the computer at the front desk had been removed; a mounted machine gun in its place. At the door, two armed men in brown trench coats stood guard, shotguns in hand. Many of the windows were covered with cloth, and a flag hung over the main entrance, a blue flag with a white depiction of Mobius in the center, and the outline of an eagle behind the planet. The words "Libertatem Aut Mortem" were printed on the bottom, which Shadow translated into "Liberty or Death". Shadow surmised that this was some sort of resistance cell against the aliens, and he found himself grateful to whatever higher power existed that such a movement hadn't been crushed after ten years.

He was directed to the elevator by a soldier; apparently the power was still working where he was. The ride to the third floor took only a few seconds, and from there it took only a minute to find Room 331. He knocked. "Come in!" Came a familiar voice from inside. He opened the door and stepped inside. He found himself face-to-face with his old rival, who's eyes were sparkling as he beheld Shadow standing before him. "Shadow… you're awake!" He smiled warmly.

"Sonic. It's been too long." The ebony hedgehog stared down his azure counterpart. "Ten years too long."

Sonic nodded and put down the clipboard he'd been holding. "Believe me, Shads. I searched the entire continent for you; for a whole decade. I planned a rescue mission as soon as I found out where you were." He glanced down at the clipboard, which he noted contained a letter from his higher-ups. "Not that Command liked me disobeying their orders to stay away, but…"

"I was a risk, I understand." The Ultimate Lifeform sat down in an armchair across from Sonic, who sat down as well. "And don't call me Shads again." He thought he saw a hint of red on the other's cheeks as he stared down at the ground for just a moment before looking back up at him.

"Sorry, it's just that… I never expected to see you again." He locked eyes with Shadow and smiled. As usual, his counterpart did not return the gesture. "Y'know, I'd forgotten how antisocial you were. Back at the work camp, I thought you'd gotten over that the way you were smiling and all."

Shadow thought back to that moment when he'd first encountered Sonic. Part of it was fake; it was just the aliens keeping him happy and content and powerless to resist them. But he couldn't help but realize that a part of it was genuine, too. Not happiness at his situation, but relief to see his old arch-rival alive and well. No, not an arch-rival, a… a _friend. _What an odd word. He remembered the old gang using the word _frenemy_ once, and for a while, that's how the Ultimate Lifeform had considered their relationship; enemies who occasionally socialized with each other. But he'd realized, before he was indoctrinated of course, that Sonic had a certain endearing quality to him. He never held a grudge against Shadow for all those years that they'd fought each other. Hell, Shadow had tried to kill him once, but not one time did Sonic hold that against him. Sure, Shadow kept up the old rival thing, but the truth was he saw his counterpart as a true friend; possibly the only one in the world. Not that he would ever admit that to Sonic, of course.

"… listening to me?" Sonic's voice cut through Shadow's contemplations.

"What?" The ebony hedgehog looked over at the other. "Sorry, I was… just thinking."

"I was just saying that however antisocial you are, I'm… glad you're all right, Shadow,"

The Ultimate Lifeform felt a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth, and because of some reason that Shadow could not identify, he allowed it to blossom. "I suppose… I'm _glad _to see you too, Faker." He saw Sonic's eye twitch a little, and he looked away for a moment before returning his gaze to Shadow. "Although I would like to know what's been going on around here. Didn't really hear much while I was indoctrinated."

"Sure thing, Shadow." Sonic smiled once again at his counterpart. "But first, I'll have some food brought up. You must be starving." He then rose from his chair and went into another room. Shadow heard him pick up a phone and dial it. "Yeah… some dinner, please. I don't know, something nice. All right, thank you." He then walked back into the main room and beckoned the Ultimate Lifeform into another room. "You can set the table."

Shadow gave a small sigh and agreed. He didn't really feel like being a housemaid or a butler or whatever, but hey, anything for food! He was handed a couple of plates and some silverware by Sonic, and proceeded to set them down on the table. A strange feeling rose from the pit of his stomach. He felt glad that this was happening. After ten years, he'd finally been freed from the worst prison imaginable, and he could finally get back to his life. Well, his _life _didn't technically exist anymore. But at least Sonic was there to help him. Wait, what? Since when did he feel like he needed his old rival's help? Sure, they were friends, but he never accepted help; not from anyone!

He banished the thoughts from his mind, however, when a knock came from the door. Dinner had arrived, and it was time to eat. He'd have time to contemplate his mental state later. Now, he was hungry, and quite eager to have a conversation with his friend for the first time in a decade….

_TO BE CONTINUED, OF COURSE…_

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Well, thanks for reading! It seems like there's a bit going on under the surface of these two hedgehogs! Tune in next time for more stuff, and don't forget to review and stop by my profile to answer my poll! Allons-y!


	4. Ch4 - What In Chaos' Name Am I Doing?

Well, here's my next chapter! Tell the truth, I was a bit skeptical whilst writing it; I feel like it doesn't really progress smoothly. I don't know, tell me what you guys think! Allons-y!

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Chapter 4 – What In Chaos' Name Am I Doing?

Alistair Lowary

Shadow the Hedgehog peered out of the mostly-covered window toward the ruined city outside. Decaying buildings littered the landscape, and few soldiers were patrolling the dark, debris-filled streets. There were no lights; the whole city had shut down at nightfall to prevent detection from any surveillance aircraft. A thought came to the Ultimate Lifeform's mind: this half-destroyed town represented one of Mobius' last hopes, one of the final enclaves of freedom on the planet.

"_How did it come to this?"_

Shadow rubbed his temples and sighed. He was supposed to have protected the people of this world, and instead he had aided in its enslavement! He was charged with the defense of his friends, and now Amy Rose was an indoctrinated servant of the enemy, Knuckles was dead, and Tails had disappeared without a trace! He'd failed the entire world, and had spent ten years as a blubbering, drooling slave to the planet's alien overlords. The past decade had changed everything about his life, and it was likely nothing would ever be the same again.

The ebony hedgehog frowned slightly and collapsed onto the couch where he was supposed to be asleep. His eyes drifted into the bedroom of the suite, where his hyper-sensitive ears picked up the sound of soft snoring. Shadow rested his chin upon his hand and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He'd been designed by Gerald Robotnik to not need any sort of emotional support, to carry on despite the losses. But it felt _good_ in a wayto have somebody there with him that tethered him to his old life. Shadow rolled his eyes at the thought. Ten years ago, he would've loathed being trapped alone with his counterpart, he would've preferred anyone else but Sonic. But his arch-rival, his nemesis, had travelled across the world for all those years, through rain and snow and fire and ice just to find _him. _That conveyed a sense of loyalty and friendship that Shadow hadn't thought Sonic possessed for him.

"_It's like he wanted to find me more than anything else…"_

The thought was interrupted by a sound from the other room. It was so quiet and so quick, that Shadow for a moment thought he had imagined it. But then it happened again, a bit louder. It sounded like bedsheets rustling. The Ultimate Lifeform glanced back over at the door, and then sighed. Of all the nights to have genetically-enhanced hearing… He leaned back into the couch and tried to close his eyes. This was why he never bunked with anyone; the minutest noises of distress from nearby would put Shadow into an alert stance. He was, after all, made for combat. After a while, the noise subsided, and Shadow smiled at the quiet that once again enveloped the room. But after a moment, another noise came from the room. A shattering sound, followed by a loud whimper.

"No… Please, no…" Sonic's trembling voice carried into the main room, and within a split second, Shadow was on his feet, and he had fetched an old-style revolver from the top shelf of a bookcase. His heart beat steadily as he approached the bedroom door. The whimpers still came from within, and there was certainly someone or something moving inside. The Ultimate Lifeform crept into the shadows, careful to silence the footfalls made by his hoverskates. He cautiously opened the door and entered into the bedroom, his eyes were level with the barrel of the gun. He blinked, taking a singular moment to adjust to the darkness of his surroundings.

There was nobody inside the room. Everything was perfectly in place, except for a picture frame near the bed, which had fallen from the nightstand and had landed face-down on the floor, shattering the glass into a million small pieces. But if all was well, then what was… Shadow's eyes drifted over to the sleeping form on the bed. Sonic still whimpered quietly, kicking violently every now and again. He was entangled in sweat-drenched bedsheets, and ruby irises softened as the Ultimate Lifeform beheld his rival suffering a nightmare. He lowered the gun to his side and stood there, dumbfounded. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. Shadow contemplated just turning around, walking out of the room; that certainly would've been the easiest thing to do, and Chaos knew that's what Shadow _should've _done. But that idea conflicted with _something _inside of him. Instead, he silently walked over to the other side of the bed and sat down, facing his counterpart. Sonic's eyes were squeezed shut, and he appeared to be in near mental agony. A whimper, almost like a plea, escaped his lips. And again, and again every few seconds. Then, much to Shadow's surprise, he felt his own hand drifting behind Sonic's ear, resting on it gently, and rubbing it softly. The contact stopped Sonic's soft cries, and the blue hedgehog began to breathe slowly and normally once again.

For a brief moment, a serene smile crept across Sonic's mouth, a smile also reflected in Shadow's own face. "_What in Chaos' name am I doing?" _The thought raced through the black hedgehog's mind, and he immediately retracted his hand. What had prompted him to do that? He was a super soldier, not a therapist! Another sound was heard; Sonic had begun to whimper again, and this time his head dug into his pillow, begging for some of the warm contact he'd just experienced. Shadow forced himself to look away, and then he rose and went to the door. Behind him, his counterpart's nightmare began to worsen again, and he started to toss and turn in his sheets, letting out soft cries of pain or whimpers of desperation. The Ultimate Lifeform sighed, left, and closed the door, not allowing himself to hear any more of Sonic's cries. He slowly laid himself down on the couch and tried to get some sleep; his head kept betraying him, however, glancing back at the closed bedroom door and ears picking up the soft pleas within. Then, in an experience almost completely foreign to the midnight hedgehog, he felt a solitary tear fall from his eye. He wiped it away, refusing to believe that he could possibly cry over Sonic. He was a friend and a good-natured rival, but it was not a friend's place to comfort someone having a nightmare. That suggested a level of familiarity and intimacy that Shadow didn't really feel for his counterpart.

He took some comfort in these thoughts, that everything he did was perfectly normal and proper given the situation he was in. But as he drifted off to sleep, the last conversation he had with himself betrayed him.

"_I couldn't possibly feel anything for Sonic… that's just plain crazy."_

"_Is it?"_

_TO BE CONTINUED…._


End file.
